Mobility, Tourism and Sustainability: The Case of the “Slow” Motorcycling

Abstract

In the context of slow mobility, among the forms of tourism overlooked is motorcycle tourism, often described as a form of short excursions. On the contrary, some motorcyclists who use less powerful and less polluting vehicles organize themselves into small communities (clubs) to enjoy specific landscapes and visit small villages. The routes they favor are “slow”: e.g., they avoid motorways, using country roads; their destinations are often natural places. This article aims to study from the perspective of cultural geography some forms of this “slow” motorcycling, as these bikers define themselves. The research focuses on a group of motorcyclists in Sicily, Italy, and it is part of a larger fieldwork. Through ethnographic interviews, the article investigates the perception and the narratives that these motorcyclists have about their way of travelling. Objective of the research is to understand the ways in which bikers conceive and use the landscape and the environment from a tourist perspective. Finally, the article proposes a reflection on the possibility of considering motorcycle tourism as a form of slow tourism and a potential vehicle for territorial development.